Wind Power contributed essentially nothing to reducing Ontario’s coal use

Between the years 2000 and 2012 coal use (black curve) was reduced from about 42 TWh to about 4 TWh, a reduction of about 39 TWh.

Wind Power (terra cotta curve, lower right) has contributed essentially nothing to reducing Ontario’s coal use. (How could that small amount of wind, only about 4TWh even in 2012, possibly have replaced 39 TWh of coal???)

The reduction in coal was because of reduced demand (red), return-to-service of nuclear (purple) and increased gas (orange).

Since Ontario now burns only a very small amount of coal, there’s no coal for wind to displace. So adding more wind will only work toward replacing CO2-free Nuclear and Hydro with Natural Gas, hence increased CO2.

So wind power in Ontario has, and will, provide no net benefit to Air Quality and the Environment. Quite the contrary.

If TBM can’t head off inappropriate local wind projects within the GEA rules, it should at least expose and fight the GEA in all communications with the Premier and involved Ministries.